Majority of EU5 members scan QR codes at home says study

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The majority of mobile phone and smartphone users in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK choose to scan QR codes at home, according to a study into mobile habits released August 12 by digital analysts Comscore.

Quick Response or more popularly ‘QR' codes are black and white squares that act as a barcode; when scanned with a mobile device or QR scanning software the barcode reveals previously hidden information to the viewer. Popular among marketers, QR codes are typically used to reveal coupons or websites to those who scan them.

The Comscore study released August 12 looked into the percentage of mobile owners in the EU5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK) who scanned a QR code throughout the month of June 2011.

Of the 4.6 percent of mobile and 9.8 percent of smartphone users in the EU5 who scanned a QR code in June, the majority (57.4 percent) did so at home. The second most popular location for scanning a QR code was at work (22.6 percent); this was followed by "outside or on public transport" (20 percent). The least popular place for scanning a QR code was at a restaurant, with only 5.7 percent of respondents having done so.

According to the report Comscore MobiLens EU5, June 2011, released August 12, the most popular locations for scanning a QR code were:

01.   Home 57.4%
02.   Work 22.6%
03.   Outside or on public transport 20%
04.   Retail store 17.8%
05.   Supermarket 17.2%
06.   Restaurant 5.7%

(Percentages will not add up 100% as respondents could choose more than one option.)

QR codes are growing in popularity as companies adopt a new way to reach a tech savvy audience. One of the most recent examples of QR code marketing involves gambling organization BetFair, whose sponsorship deal with the British Olympics volleyball team includes players wearing QR codes on their bikini bottoms.